1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to portable chairs. More specifically, the present invention relates to a collapsible chair which includes a storage compartment or pouch attached to the underside of the seat.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art has combined portable chairs and storage compartments, such as, U.S. Pat. No. 3,122,397, which describes a fishing and convenience stool of the type that is provided with a support that includes a pair of U-shaped frames that are pivotally connected together, whereby the frames may be collapsed with respect to each other to facilitate carrying or storing. The seat embodies a removable receptacle for supporting fishing or various accessories. Although the stool is foldable and has a removable receptacle with minimal space, the stool, absent a backrest may be uncomfortable. Moreover, the removable receptacle, constructed of textile material and lacking insulation, does not function as a cooler.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,245, discusses a folding chair that includes a hollow box like housing forming a seat support structure and an insulated compartment. The insulated compartment, having a front access opening, provides access for a person seated on the seat support. A backrest is pivotally secured to the housing for extending upward in a support position and foldable onto the seat platform for a collapsed position. A pair of U-shaped leg members pivotally secured to the housing for supporting the housing in an elevated position with the leg members connected by linkage means to the backrest and foldable therewith to the collapsed position. The front access opening for the insulated compartment, designed to provide access by a person seated on the seat, is unlikely to provide access comfortably.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,717, discloses a golfer's portable chair equipped with a cleat tool attached to a frame that includes a storage compartment located beneath a seat cover. The seat cover can be removed via a releasable fastener to expose an access opening into the storage compartment. A separate cooler formed of an insulating material can be inserted into the storage compartment. A golfer must remove the seat cover before he can access the storage compartment. The backrest frame requires contact between a cross member and the leg members into order to keep the frame from pivoting back further, thereby inhibiting storage compartment/cooler space.
Whatever the precise merits, features and advantages of the above cited references, none of them achieves or fulfills the purpose of the present invention in providing a foldable chair with unobstructed access to a cooler having ample room, all within a slim and efficient design that folds into a compact transportable form.